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Access to test strips - can you logically answer 'no' to these questions?

@Dillinger - When I set my mind to it, I can be quite a sophisticated communicator, and leading someone down a questioning path (especially the testing issue) is as simple as pie, but I firmly believe that is a waste of time, other than to introduce discomfiture. The bottom line is the sheer quantum of T2s registered at any practise, and the potential cost of each of those testing, even a couple of times a day. Ideologically, may not necessarily support that argument, but I can appreciate, in the scheme of prioritisation, we T2s lose out. And frankly, if I were managing a Practise drugs budget, I would probably end up being forced into the same corner.

What I found so incredibly insulting, post-diagnosis was to be told by the Practise Nurse that I shouldn't be testing, because I wouldn't understand the results, and I could get worried by it. She knew absolutely nothing about me; my background, my character or even my attitude. In retort, I asked why I had been given Diastix if quantitative information was too scarey for me. Of course, I Ignored that I had already concluded Diastix are the chocolate teapot of the diabetes management world. Frankly, I was insulted that I wasn't having an adult conversation about condition self-management. I felt the NHS was thumbing it's nose at me, and sending me off to pick the bones out of the low-fat, give up sugar, and if you could trim up a bit it would be good advice.

I believe we, as a tax paying population, know the NHS cannot afford to sponsor absolutely everything we might ideally need to manage every condition we might suffer from. There needs to be honest prioritisation, and honest messaging. We need to be told it is possible to pick up testing, but, that the NHS can't sponsor it for us. This is the case for certain forms of other treatments, for other ailments. We, as patients, have to be helped to understand our part in this game, and given the opportunity to pick up the tab, if we want to, and we can. Not, as I have read on here, where some don't admit to their HCPs that they test, for fear of opprobrium. How bonkers is that? Strips for the SD Codefree cost £5.20 for 50, when buying in modest bulk, so I can test 3 times a day, for a month, for the cost of an NHS prescription. Personally, I'm happy with that. I do appreciate not everyone can afford this, but, if they aren't being prescribed strips anyway, to an extent it's a moot point.
 
If we have to pay for our sticks which keep us well, how about making those who get drunk on a regular basis pay for taking up time and resources in a+e on the weekend week after week after week, they know what they are doing but expect the NHS to pick up the tab which by the way could provide meters and sticks for every diabetic for a year.
 
satindoll said:
If we have to pay for our sticks which keep us well, how about making those who get drunk on a regular basis pay for taking up time and resources in a+e on the weekend week after week after week, they know what they are doing but expect the NHS to pick up the tab which by the way could provide meters and sticks for every diabetic for a year.
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We live in an iniquitous world.
 
There are no easy, one-size-fits-all answers.

I think all diabetics would benefit from regular testing.
I know that some diabetics would not do this even if given the equipment.
I know that some diabetics would become obsessed or test unhelpfully.
I know that some do benefit tremendously (me!)
I know that the NHS cannot afford all treatments to everyone
I know that the NHS must prioritise.
I know this is grossly unfair to people who cannot buy their own testing equipment but would benefit.

There is very little I can do about this, since (in the real world) the NHS will never be able to fund testing for all diabetics.

All I can do is buy my own stuff (since I am lucky enough to afford the £12/month it costs me to test several times a day, using the Codefree), and promote testing for any diabetic who cannot afford their own equipment, and who will benefit.
 
Brunneria said:
There are no easy, one-size-fits-all answers.

I think all diabetics would benefit from regular testing.
I know that some diabetics would not do this even if given the equipment.
I know that some diabetics would become obsessed or test unhelpfully.
I know that some do benefit tremendously (me!)
I know that the NHS cannot afford all treatments to everyone
I know that the NHS must prioritise.
I know this is grossly unfair to people who cannot buy their own testing equipment but would benefit.

There is very little I can do about this, since (in the real world) the NHS will never be able to fund testing for all diabetics.

All I can do is buy my own stuff (since I am lucky enough to afford the £12/month it costs me to test several times a day, using the Codefree), and promote testing for any diabetic who cannot afford their own equipment, and who will benefit.
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I agree with what you say there is no one size fits all answer, but I have to admit it rankles when the drunken louts get better treatment for killing off their livers deliberately and expect me to feel sorry for them, and yes some diabetics have by their own greed brought it on themselves but many of them have not even the larger than life ones. sometimes if you are predisposed to it for whatever reason many things can bring it on.
 
satindoll said:
I agree with what you say there is no one size fits all answer, but I have to admit it rankles when the drunken louts get better treatment for killing off their livers deliberately and expect me to feel sorry for them, and yes some diabetics have by their own greed brought it on themselves but many of them have not even the larger than life ones. sometimes if you are predisposed to it for whatever reason many things can bring it on.
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But most of the 'greed' that led to obesity and a diagnosis resulted from undiagnosed glucose intolerance, sometimes for decades. Certainly that was the case for me. I don't think I am alone.

There's actually a strong argument (that I first came across 20 years ago in Montignac's diet book) that anyone who is overweight has impaired glucose tolerance.

And that leads to cravings, bad food choices and weight gain... Sometimes to massively dysfunctional, uncontrollable, compulsive eating levels.

I'm sorry folks - I really don't want to derail this thread, but I am very uncomfortable with diabetics being blamed for their condition, so I always pipe up when I come across it.
 
@Brunneria I wasn't blaming any diabetic for their condition as I well know that you can be a healthy 22st and not get it conversely you can but how did you get too 22st it wasn't till I got it that my weight went up so I am aware of the impaired glucose tolerant argument, but there are those who are not glucose impaired who just pig out then wonder where the weight came from
@Scardoc I have always held that there for the grace of god for the poor souls that are addicted to the bottle, their addiction came about before the knowledge of today, its not them that yank my chain its as I said the young louts who know what they are doing and do it anyway.
 
Scardoc said:
We don't like diabetics being blamed for their condition but it's fair to blame the drinkers?
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Not in my book (especially the ones who are drinking to cope with cravings caused by impaired glucose tolerance...). But that is a whole other thread. And forum.
 
Firstly, you completely fail to understand the idea of evidence based medicine - I don't care how persuasive your argument for why testing should work is, and that's all this is.

Secondly, the answer to 5. is in fact no (it's well known that e.g. Diabetics produce much more glucose in their livers than healthy people).
 
AlexMBrennan said:
Firstly, you completely fail to understand the idea of evidence based medicine - I don't care how persuasive your argument for why testing should work is, and that's all this is.
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So, let me get this right, you follow the NICE guidance to eat carbs with every meal (or you just carry on thinking the drugs will cure all your troubles), every 3 months your HbA1c goes up, and you get given more drugs.

What does 'evidence-based medicine' conclude from that?
 
sanguine said:
So, let me get this right, you follow the NICE guidance to eat carbs with every meal (or you just carry on thinking the drugs will cure all your troubles), every 3 months your HbA1c goes up, and you get given more drugs.

What does 'evidence-based medicine' conclude from that?
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You're forgetting one thing - very few of us seem to actually get our A1cs every 3 months.
So by giving the tests less often, there is less evidence, so it is even easier to avoid the facts. :banghead:
 
Indeed, I was just thinking of my own recently-diagnosed HbA1c frequency.
 
satindoll said:
@Brunneria I wasn't blaming any diabetic for their condition as I well know that you can be a healthy 22st and not get it conversely you can but how did you get too 22st it wasn't till I got it that my weight went up so I am aware of the impaired glucose tolerant argument, but there are those who are not glucose impaired who just pig out then wonder where the weight came from
@Scardoc I have always held that there for the grace of god for the poor souls that are addicted to the bottle, their addiction came about before the knowledge of today, its not them that yank my chain its as I said the young louts who know what they are doing and do it anyway.
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There is a generation that was brought up in an era when it was fashionable to smoke and they really were not aware of the implications. You could argue the same for alcoholics but I think the “demon” drink and it’s pitfalls has been around and known about for a lot longer. Like everything, there are various groups, there are people who drink as an escape from suffering that we probably can’t empathise with, and genuinely need help and support. Then you have the louts. However, the louts fall into a very expansive group of people who cost the NHS money un-necessarily. Other members of this group may include the humble mountain biker who has broken his collar bone 5 times and 20 other bones as well, the obese person who really didn’t care what he was eating or how little exercise he got, the guy who went to a party, got hammered and ended up having his stomach pumped………

I’ve reached the conclusion that, whilst it is annoying, the NHS is a wonderful system that benefits everyone in the UK greatly and should remain free. Funding this system is, however, a minefield. This thread is on the funding of test strips for T2 and the harsh reality is that this will not be prioritised until such time as the NHS has available funds or the strips become a lot more affordable (which should be targeted by Government NOW!). The mountain biker’s collar bone? What are you going to do – tell him to stop exercising? There are drugs out there that can prolong the life of cancer sufferers and we’ve all seen on the news that these are also not being funded. In a perfect World everything could be afforded. But it’s not.
 
AlexMBrennan said:
Firstly, you completely fail to understand the idea of evidence based medicine - I don't care how persuasive your argument for why testing should work is, and that's all this is.

Secondly, the answer to 5. is in fact no (it's well known that e.g. Diabetics produce much more glucose in their livers than healthy people).
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Ah, my dear AlexMBrennan always a pleasure.

Thank you for your assumptions on my views of 'evidence based medicine'.

Are you seriously claiming that glycogen causes greater blood sugar disruption than eating any type of food? A Black Forest gateaux for instance? Really? Let's see your double blind studies then. If you have none then, my friend, you are ignoring the entire idea of evidence based medicine and we can't have that can we?

The basis of empiricism is observation and testing; if we do not have the tools to do that in our own diabetic lives how can we hope to control a fluid, multifactorial condition like diabetes? I would suggest that we cannot especially if you have Type 2 diabetes without the use of insulin and therefore cannot correct elevated blood sugars particularly well.

All my best

Dillinger
 
Here's a thought as most car drivers ie me have some kind of insurance why not ask those who indulge in their dangerous pastimes to provide themselves with same, my OH has his own accident and hospitalisation insurance so that if and when he is in hospital we do not have to become a burden on the system and yes he has used it a number of times the last time was in feb when his angina landed him in hospital, and no before his heart attack he was a very fit and lithe person his nickname at work was rush around roy, since he has had to slow down a bit he is now called mr perpetual motion, he is still on the slim side and at the lower weight level for his height.

As an aside he brought his own meter and tests himself at least once a week as he doesn't want diabetes to creep up on him like it did me, now looking into getting the code free meter as he usually ends up throwing away strips that have gone out of date, and refuses to swell the coffers of greedy company's who over inflate their prices.
 
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